Random Babble

My last post left off at our explorations of the temples and stupas in Mrauk U.  We spent several hours two days in a row wandering through the dusky labyrinths and corridors that burrow through these 16th century structures.  Typically there is a main hall housing a large Buddha surrounded by tunnels with niches holding rows and rows of smaller Buddhas, some in the image of lost kings of the Rakhine kingdom.  We took countless photos but it is impossible to capture the mystery and magick of actually being there.  At the end of our first full day we joined our new friend Marc for dinner at a small Rakhine eatery near the market.  His guide joined us and the owner of the restaurant served up some traditional Rakhine cuisine.  We had deep fried squash with a spicy dipping sauce, fresh corn, lima beans, fish curry and pork curry, sticks of tiny fish fried crispy and eaten whole, lots of rice and, of course, Myanmar beer.  This was not a restaurant for the squeamish and I think we payed for that a couple of days later, but trying local food is one of the requisites of travel, don't you think?  It was one of several lively meals we shared with fellow travelers and Marc and Muzzy made fun company.

Kuang Thant
One of the only restaurants in Mrauk U
with an English sign

Marc and Muzzy

Our third day in Mrauk U was spent on a river journey up the Lemro to visit the Chin villages.  While the actual Chin territory is closed to foreigners, the government does allow tourists to visit these two or three villages north of Mrauk U.  It took about two hours to get to the first two villages.  We traveled in a small covered boat with a guide named Ao.  Ao spoke good English and eagerly shared all sorts of information, answering all our questions as best he could.  He even discussed politics and expressed some of the frustrations of the Rakhiang people with the Myanmar government.  They are an independent people, proud of their heritage and their language, quick to point out their differences from southern Myanmar.

Kothuang Temple
the temple of 90,000 Buddhas

Recently excavated temple

Making bricks

The boat landing at the Lemro River

Market town - sorting snails

Buying a basket

Our boat

Ao walked us through the first two villages that are Rakhiang and Chin, sort of two villages that run together.  Tourism pays for the primary school here and is one of the main sources of income for all of these remote Rakhiang villages.  We were taken to the home of an elder Chin woman who had traditional  facial tattoos.  Once characteristic of Chin women and applied with great religious  ceremony, the tattoos were  ended many years ago.  These  tattoos will die with the women of this generation.  We took a few photographs, an odd experience, and continued up the river to the next village, about a half hour north.

In this last village, there are nine women, all in their 60's and older, with facial tattoos, who are willing  to pose for photos.  While this has a rather zoo like quality to it, these women were incredibly gracious and dignified, showing off their weavings, welcoming us into their village, and inviting me to sit with them.  I indicated that I had a tattoo as well and pulled down the corner of my T-shirt to show my shoulder.  They gathered around and looked at it.  We all laughed.

Have a seat

It was a moment.  We had another when one woman asked Ao to bring us to her house.  She showed us her back strap loom, ordered Ao to bring us tea, and after a few moments conversation with him, she got up and went to the back of her house.  When she came back, she replaced the bamboo plugs in her ears with a pair of huge silver ear plugs.  I gasped and put my hand on my heart.  The other women gathered in the courtyard nodding their approval.  Our lady was so proud, and rightly so, of these beautiful heirloom earrings.  I felt privileged that she shared them with me.  As we prepared to leave, she found me and motioned for Muzzy to take her photo with me.  Lovely.  I didn't buy any textiles from the women, but gave them each a small contribution to thank them for letting us trespass.

Chinn woman

Chinn woman

Silver earrings

Chinn Woman

Chinn woman

Chinn woman